A Journey Never Forgotten
by SebbyFangirl101
Summary: This is a story about a girl who takes a dangerous risk by searching for the urban legend, the Slenderman. Full of surprises and climaxes, this story is perfect for the ultimate Slenderman or Creepypasta fan. Enjoy, and don't forget to review.
1. Chapter 1 - The Beginning

There was once a young girl named Amelia. She was eleven years old, and she lived in a lodge neighboring some sinister woods. One night, shortly after Amelia and her family moved into their new home, her parents got into a heated argument about the houses location. "I don't like it here," Amelia's mother said, "The sounds that come from those woods behind us give me the chills, especially late at night, and sometimes, maybe it was just my mind playing games on me, but I swear, I saw this… I don't know, _creature_ that lurked around the perimeter of the house. Only very late at night did I see this creature, but it appeared human-like, it stood on two legs and… where its face is supposed to be…" Amelia's mother trailed off as she let out a violent shudder. "…I don't know what is going on in those woods, but I don't intend on staying here much longer to find out." Amelia's father insisted that she was paranoid and that she only needed some time to become accustomed to their new life. As the parents went back and forth, Amelia silently sat on the steps of the stairs, where her parents could not see her eavesdropping. Amelia was intrigued by the eeriness of the woods, although she did not know why (obviously, it wasn't in her blood, considering how freaked out her mother was with even the mention of vast, dark, never-ending woods and its inhabitants). So as curiosity overpowered her rational sense of mind, she impatiently waited for her parents to go up to their room. When she put her ear against her parents' door a few hours later, she heard simultaneous snores, and she was positive that her parents were fast asleep. She tiptoed to the coat closet and grabbed her black cloak, equally comfortable and concealed. Amelia also grabbed a kitchen knife, just in case she felt threatened by anything, and a snack, as she does not plan to return home before dawn. She was about to leave the house but stopped in her tracks. "_Tsk, Tsk, Tsk_. I can't believe I forgot to leave a note," Amelia whispered to herself. She grabbed a pad of paper and a pen and frantically scribbled, "_Went exploring. Don't worry about me, I'll be back soon. I love you. –A". _She ripped the note off of the pad of paper and left it on the kitchen counter. Amelia was about to put the pad and pen away, but then thought twice of it and stashed it away in her back pocket. She left the house, locked the door, and slowly walked towards the mysterious woods. When all that she could see was a dark void of trees and underbrush, Amelia stopped. Hesitating, she took a deep breath and thought to herself, "No matter what happens tonight, I came out here for the adventure, and if I end up getting hurt in the process, then… so be it". With that, she took her first tentative step into the unknown…

As Amelia ventured further into the woods, her worries faded and her anticipation grew. She wanted to find something worth talking about, whether it was an ancient something-or-other or even that creature that her mother spoke of. Thinking about this mystifying creature sent a chill down Amelia's back. Amelia cursed at herself for acting like such a wimp. She felt like she needed to know that she was strong, that she could handle anything, and she was not scared. So Amelia ran. She ran deep into those woods, so deep that she couldn't even see the moon or the stars, and it seemed like the world had gone black. She knew that the deeper she journeyed through the woods, the more she would defy whatever existed beyond the trees that wanted to haunt her family. Realizing this, she ran even faster as the wind brutally slapped her face and sweat soaked through her shirt (somehow, her cloak remained dry). The exhilarating feeling of speed overwhelmed her, and in that moment, just running in the woods, putting all of her fears and worries behind her, Amelia felt free. Amelia truly felt happy…

…but then she stopped. She had to stop, or else she would've passed out from dehydration. Frustrated, Amelia yanked her snack out of her front pocket and furiously chomped on it to regain her energy. Despite how much she enjoyed the feeling of freedom, the knowledge that she was defying the woods, she knew that fantasies could not last forever. She knew that eventually she would have to turn back and deal with her mother's constant anxiety, her father's negligence to her, and the creature's trespass on their house. Sighing, Amelia turned around and trudged towards the exit, but she knew that it would take hours to reach home at that speed, so Amelia broke into a jog. She kept her head low, oblivious to what was going on around her being that she was lost in thought. Then, Amelia's thoughts materialized in front of her as she hit what felt to her like a fence. Cursing, Amelia put her hand to her head, and she was bleeding from her temple to her upper lip… but that was the least of her troubles. Amelia now stood before a man, or what appeared to be a man, who towered above her. It wore a black suit and tie, and it could've passed off as a frighteningly tall business man if it wasn't for its arms, skin, and face. For one thing, it didn't have a face. All Amelia could see was the indentations of cheekbones and its chin. Its arms were freakishly long, too, as if it could have snatched someone from a mile away. And its skin was the palest of whites. If one was to remove the creature's clothing, it would've looked like a ghost from far away. Amelia unconsciously put her hand to her mouth in shock. The creature was on the other side of the fence, but that made it no less of a threat to Amelia. She backed away slowly, preparing to sprint, when the creature climbed the fence and blocked her path. It began to advance on her, with its black tongue reaching for her face to lick off the blood, Amelia assumed. She backed away even quicker, hoping that the horrific tongue wouldn't be able to reach her. The creature must have noticed Amelia's uneasiness, because it pulled back its tongue. However, the creature pressed forward, making sure that Amelia knew that restrain was not one of its virtues. "Please…" Amelia begged, "Please don't hurt me…" The creature seemed surprised to hear this, because it jerked back a few inches. Then, it stretched its skin into what would've been a smile and shook its head. Then it sprouted thick and black tentacles from its back, extended them out towards Amelia, and engulfed her into a sea of black.

**CHAPTER 1 - END**


	2. Chapter 2 - The Escape?

**A/N: Sorry that this chapter is so short! Chapter 3 is going to be longer to make up for it… enjoy! **

When Amelia woke up, she was in a tent made up of twigs and leaves. She didn't- know how long she had been unconscious, but she didn't intend to stick around in the forest to waste more time, either, so she attempted to stand up, but stumbled in the process. She realized that she must've injured herself when she struggled against the monster. She looked down at her legs, but they didn't seem as though they were damaged, and when she looked up again, she saw the creature right in front of her. As she wondered how the creature materialized in front of her so quickly, Amelia groaned in protest. "…What do you want with me?" she asked. The creature said nothing. "You don't say much, do you?" The creature shook its head. "Maybe I might have something that can fix that… can you write?" The creature shrugged. "Well… I have pen and paper… so…" Amelia trailed off as she pulled out her notepad and handed it to the creature. The creature looked at the pen and paper as if they were foreign objects. Then it started to write. After a moment's hesitation, it handed the notepad back to her. Amelia read aloud, "…_You're an interesting girl. I wanted to investigate you further. I don't get many visitors- everyone is afraid of me, and this entire neighborhood somehow knows about my existence. No one would dare go out looking for me… except you. _So what am I to you, your little _science project_? I was just acting stupid, thinking that finding you would be a good idea. Now, I have a family, and they were expecting me home soon, so I'm afraid I must be going." Amelia concluded as she was walking out of the tent. The creature furiously snarled and blocked her way. "What?" Amelia screamed. Amelia shoved the creature out of the way, but to no avail. Amelia groaned for a second time. "Alright, fine. I'm all yours. What do you want?" Amelia spat. The creature eyed her cautiously, and then held out his hand. "What?" Amelia said. The creature pointed to the pen and paper in Amelia's hand. Amelia handed it back to the creature, it wrote, and it gave the notepad back to Amelia. Amelia read aloud, "_I am called the Slenderman by the villagers, but you can call me Slendy. I don't wish to harm you, but if you insist on leaving, then I do not want to become the false name that the villagers have given me- a child kidnapper. Therefore, you may leave, but should you wish to return… I'll be waiting for you. We have much to discuss. I'm really not a bad man… I had never hurt a child or adult. Stay if you wish for me to prove that to you, but if you leave, then I shall prove myself some other time. Goodbye, Amelia. _You know, your handwriting really is atrocious, and I haven't even a clue of how you know my name… no matter. I say goodbye to you as well, Slenderman." Amelia said with finality as she rushed out of the makeshift tent. She ran as fast as she could, but this time, the rush wasn't exhilarating, carefree, and _beautiful_. It was filled with fear and angst. She wanted out of the forest, she wanted out of the neighborhood, she wanted out of the _city_. She didn't want to be affiliated with the creature, the Slenderman, in any way, shape or form, but as Amelia realized this, she noticed that she was already at the edge of the forest. "_So it built the tent near the exit of the forest… how strange…" _Amelia thought. By instinct, Amelia slowly looked behind her. She found herself facing the Slenderman once again, but this time, he was rather far away, only observing her. The Slenderman had a pained, even sad, expression on its face as it watched Amelia make her escape. Amelia seemed intrigued that such a creature could feel, so slowly, tentatively, she turned around and took a step forward. Then another, and then another. Amelia soon found herself running towards the Slenderman. When she was face to face with him, he skeptically furrowed where his eyebrows were supposed to be. "I'm sorry…" Amelia cried. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" Amelia found that a single tear fell on her face as she nuzzled into her cloak. Slenderman put a gloved hand on Amelia's shoulders and nudged her with something. Amelia grabbed it, and it was her notepad. She read aloud, "_You dropped this on your way out. It's alright. Come. I have much to show you_. Alright." Amelia then grabbed Slenderman by the hand and they walked further into the inexplicable woods.

**CHAPTER 2 - END**


	3. Chapter 3 - Meeting Fumiko

**A/N: This is one of the longer chapters of **_**A Journey Never Forgotten, **_**so prepare yourselves! Enjoy! **

Slendy took Amelia back to the tent where she had slept. Amelia sat down in the only chair in the tent, and in the back of her mind, Amelia wondered whether the Slenderman had watched her sleep last night. She quickly dismissed the thought. "I'm sorry about my little freak-out. I don't know what came over me…" she said. Slendy shook his head, as if to say that it didn't matter. Amelia handed the notepad and pen back to Slendy. "Keep them," she said. Slendy nodded in a rather business-like fashion and set the pen and paper on a table beside him. "Why do you have a table with no chairs?" Amelia asked. The Slenderman shrugged. "Where do you even GET all of this stuff?" she asked. Slendy gestured wide with his arms, as if to say "all around me". Amelia made a little nod as she absentmindedly stared at the notepad and pen. "You know," she said after a pause, "when I go home, I could bring you some different colored pens, or some pencils, maybe, OR maybe some colored pencils, or markers! You could draw, or, something… besides, it must get boring, being here all alone with nothing to do," Amelia mused. Slendy took the notepad and wrote, "It is fine, and you don't have to go through all of that trouble just to make someone like me happy… what's more, I prefer the color black. It suits me, and every color has a story, Amelia. The color black's story is exactly that- black… dark, eerie, mystifying, _unpredictable_. Any other color cannot compare." Amelia smiled. She liked the idea of a color having its own story. "…but wait," she began, "That's not true. You're not the color black. You don't have dark personality at all. You're nice. You may try to portray yourself to be the color black, but you're really not. On the inside, you're the warmest of colors- a crimson red, the brightest of oranges, a blinding yellow, a deep, deep magenta, and even the faintest tints of white," Amelia explained. Slendy's face stretched into a wide smile. "You're something else, Amelia," Slendy wrote in his notepad. Amelia laughed. "I know that much," she said and then hesitantly added, "Say, umm, when _can_ I go home?" The Slenderman's expression hardened and his smile disappeared just as quickly as it had come. He shrugged and to elaborate wrote "whenever you want". Amelia expected this reaction, because she instinctively added, "I want to stay with you, so don't be offended. Really, I do." To express her newfound affection towards Slendy, Amelia walked straight up to Slendy and gave him a warm hug, but let go quickly before Slendy could react. Amelia noticed that Slendy was obviously flustered, as he was tugging gently at his tailcoat. Amelia chuckled lightly. "I don't know what it is… you _GET _me, for a lack of better words, but, it's just that…" she trailed off as her stomach viciously grumbled, finishing her thoughts for her. Slendy nodded his head in recognition. "I'm _starving_, and home is the only place where I can get food," Amelia finished. "However…" Amelia continued, "…I can't go back home, can I? I mean, it's midday, my parents are SURE to be awake, wondering where I am, no doubt, and going home at night isn't an option either, I suppose, as they can't even go to sleep at a suitable hour on a NORMAL night," she added, remembering the night of her getaway. Slendy nodded again and motioned for Amelia to follow him out of the tent. Amelia obliged and the pair was soon immersed into the depths of the woods once again. They walked for what seemed like hours, and Amelia's stomach grew impatient, groaning with hunger every few minutes. "Slenderm-, I mean, Slendy? Umm, not to be rude, but how long is this going to _take?_" Amelia asked. "Patience is a virtue, young grasshopper," Slendy wrote. Amelia sighed. "Tell that to my stomach," she responded impassively. "Just a few more minutes, okay? I promise. Oh, and any urination or such can be taken care of as well when we arrive," Slendy wrote. Amelia cringed. "_Really_? _'Urination'_? MUST you make it sound so abnormal? Not all of us can be an inhuman creature who doesn't need to ever pee, you know…" she complained awkwardly. Slendy shrugged. About five minutes passed when Slendy pointed northeast as he took it upon himself to lead the way. Amelia and Slendy soon found themselves in front of a tent similar to theirs, but it was more decorative, embellished with birds' colorful feathers and what looked like banners with Japanese lettering inscribed into them. It was obvious that the owner of the tent put more time into their living space than Slendy had. Before Amelia could comment, a woman strolled out of the tent and was startled to see the Slenderman, but calmed down after taking a deep breath. "Goodness, don't frighten me like that, fatso," she said. Amelia looked at Slendy's thin build and mouthed "Fatso?" as Slendy smiled and shrugged. The woman, Amelia observed, was nothing less than beautiful. Her hair was a silky black and pinned up into a loose bun with chopsticks and wore a red, black, and pink kimono. She had surprisingly deep blue eyes, the color of a night sky before a day went completely black. Amelia gazed at the woman's beauty. "What's wrong, Kyūtī?" the woman asked. "Don't you mean 'cutie'?" Amelia corrected. "No, I mean Kyūtī," the woman replied with a smile. "Oh, umm, okay, sorry, ma'am," Amelia said. The woman quietly hushed her and went around her tent. What she brought back around was a shocking and repulsive sight. A bear cub was being dragged across the grass by the woman's hands. Multiple arrows were in the bear's body, and one fatal arrow went through its neck. Amelia's eyes flung wide open in horror as the woman muttered indecipherable chants in Japanese. As the woman did this, she carefully removed each arrow, one by one. When she finished the ritual, she started to skin the baby bear with a pocketknife. Amelia's eyes were glued to the dead cub. "…Why?" she managed to croak out. "Well, because of 'iomante'. It's a Japanese ritual where a bear or its cub is sacrificed for a human's, or even a village's, survival. We show respect to the sacrificed animal by chanting our apologies and our thanks," the woman explained. Amelia bent over as she was about to vomit. "Slendy," Amelia choked, "I think I'm going to be sick or something," she said before she threw up. Amelia fainted from exhaustion soon afterward, but Slendy caught her before she injured herself from the fall. Even though she was unconscious, Amelia could feel the steady heartbeat of the Slenderman, and, somehow, it gave her motivation to wake up. Upon awaking, she said, "All right, fine. I'll eat your damn baby bear meat," Amelia said, shuddering with disgust. "Splendid! Typically, this meat would last me weeks if it doesn't go bad before a week or so, but I'd gladly share it with any guests. The preparation and cooking of tonight's menu should take about two hours. Is that all right?" the woman asked, smiling at Amelia. Despite her hatred towards the chef's choice of protein, Amelia groaned in frustration. "No! It's _NOT _all right! Listen, lady, I need food. _NOW_," Amelia demanded. The woman laughed and said, "You've come with an appetite? How wonderful. There is tea on the pot behind the house and some leftover sticky rice inside." With that, Amelia almost sprinted to the other side of the tent. "Also, if you need to use the restroom, the leaves and shovel are next to the pot," Amelia heard the woman shout. Amelia winced as she reached for the items. _How utterly unsanitary_, Amelia thought to herself as she found the farthest corner away from the tent and used the bathroom. When Amelia returned with the food, the woman said, "I am Fumiko, by the way. Please, have a seat." Amelia sat on the tough ground as Slendy followed suit. His legs were longer than his torso, so when he sat (in an almost fetal position), his legs covered his face, shadowing the rest of his body as well. Giggling, Amelia addressed Fumiko. "Fumiko who?" she asked. Amelia noticed that Fumiko's eyes went blank and her face became grave, losing any possible warmth. "_Just_ Fumiko," the woman replied. Amelia held her hands up as a form of surrender. "Alright. Fine. Fumiko. It's beautiful," Amelia said. Fumiko shrugged. "It means 'child of beauty', so I suppose a name with that meaning should be beautiful, or at least sound so," Fumiko commented. "You are beautiful, Fumiko," Amelia said. _Why was she always so honest? _In response, Fumiko shrugged. Shrugging seemed to be her habit.

Shrugging also seemed to be Slendy's habit.

_Just a coincidence_, Amelia thought.

"So, Kyūtī, how do you like the sticky rice and the tea?" Fumiko asked, snapping Amelia out of her thoughts. "They're fine. Amazing, actually, considering how hungry I really am…" Amelia said. Fumiko smiled. "That's great, Kyūtī," Fumiko said. Amelia faced Slendy and his empty hands. "Aren't you hungry? Here," Amelia offered, handing him the bowl of sticky rice. Slendy declined. "Slendy over here barely eats. He only eats my bear meat, and he hardly eats that as it is… it's too bad, sugar," Fumiko said, facing Slendy, "you're missing out," she finished. Slendy and Fumiko shrugged in unison. Amelia could hardly stifle a laugh when she noticed their in-tune signs of discomfort.

For the next two hours, Amelia, Slendy, and Fumiko sat in silence, with Fumiko getting up every few minutes to make their dinner. Finally, Fumiko declared, "IT'S DONE!" as she gave Amelia and Slendy their plates. _Even the plates come with Japanese decoration_, Amelia thought, admiring the Japanese dragons that slithered along the lines of her plate. As Fumiko placed each item of food on Amelia and Slendy's plates, she explained them. "Blackened-by-fire sacred bear meat, fresh sticky rice, and vegetables from the market compiled into a salad, along with berries that I picked myself," Fumiko said. Amelia raised her eyebrows. "Wait a minute," Amelia began, "if you went to the marketplace, then why are we eating _bear _meat and not something normal, like beef or chicken or pork? Why couldn't you have bought HAMBURGER meat and we could've just had some freaking HAMBURGERS?" Amelia complained. Fumiko rolled her eyes. "You know, I typically don't put up with girls like you, but since you're Slendy's new friend, I suppose that I _have_ to deal with you…" Fumiko said to Amelia. "What do you mean, '_girls like me'_? You're not exactly a cup of tea, either, with your crazy rituals and Japanese junk," Amelia shot back. Fumiko's face reddened as she bit into her dinner and she immediately directed a piercing look towards Amelia. "That's not really what I meant. I meant that girls like you can be rather naïve. What do you think; do you _seriously _think that these kinds of vegetables just fall from the sky? I mean, you're right; I could use the little money I manage to scrounge up every few months to buy your smashed American cow meat, but considering that I live in the woods, I can't exactly get the right amount of nutrients from vegetables. Therefore, I buy lettuce, tomatoes, corn, and sometimes even potatoes, instead. Besides, Japanese culture belongs to me, it's the only thing that I've got left… but nonetheless, I apologize if tonight's meal isn't up to an American's standards. If you come to me for food, this is what you get. Sorry, Amelia," Fumiko said. Amelia jumped at the sound of her name; she hadn't heard it been called for hours. "How do you even know my name?" Amelia asked. Fumiko laughed, a sound that sounded like silk would feel. "_That's _what you get out of everything that I just said? Wow… but, to answer your question, Slendy told me," Fumiko answered. Amelia nodded, even though she had no clue how Fumiko and Slendy were able to communicate. _Surely the only way is through the notepad…_ Amelia thought. By the time Amelia and Fumiko's argument finished, everyone had finished their food (except for Slendy- he hadn't eaten the rice, salad, and half of the meat). Amelia and Slendy stood as they said their thanks and their goodbyes, but before they left, Fumiko said, "Hey! Kyūtī! Would you like to know how Slendy and I speak with each other?" Amelia quickly nodded. With that, Fumiko began to move her hands around as though she was speaking through her hands. Apparently, Slendy understood, because he responded with similar hand movements. _Sign language…_ Amelia thought. _Amazing…_ Then, Amelia, Slendy, and Fumiko said one last farewell and Amelia and Slendy went on their way…

On their walk, Amelia bombarded Slendy with questions. "Why didn't you prepare me before for that visit? That was hectic! Also, why didn't you tell me that there were other ways to communicate with you? I thought there would be an actual RESTROOM, too! Bear meat… I can't believe that I was desperate enough to eat a baby bear…" Amelia said. Slendy shook his head and wrote, "That was a matter of survival for the both of you, Amelia. Fumiko has had a hard life… what we saw today was the easiest it has ever been for her. You see, long ago, when Fumiko was a child, her parents decided to take her on a road trip. At that time, her name was Akari. On their way back from the trip, her parents let her use the restroom at a local rest stop. When she returned, the car was gone. She has had to survive on her own since then. She almost died… I witnessed it. She wandered into these woods looking for something to eat, so we learned to communicate with each other and I helped her embrace her Japanese culture through things like the sticky rice and the tea and 'iomante'. That's all she eats- it would be an understatement if I said that she has gotten bored of it all. Still, like she said, she only gets money when she finds it on the ground or stuck in a tree, so she has to be smart with it… and to answer your inevitable question about why she changed her name, well, I have absolutely no idea. Maybe her fresh start meant the birth of a fresh name as well… you would have to ask Fumiko in person to find out. Also, I have no clue what you expected by deciding to stay with me. Living in the woods isn't exactly a five star hotel, I mean, _really_, Amelia, maybe Fumiko was right. Maybe you _are _a little too naïve. This is the woods, Amelia. Do you honestly think that plumbing reaches us? Not a chance," Amelia flinched at the sight of that word that she has grown to despise. _Naïve_. "I… am… not… NAÏVE!" Amelia screamed, running past the Slenderman, deeper into the unexplored forest. She didn't get very far when the Slenderman caught up to her, grabbing her at the shoulders. He bent down so that he would be at eye's length with Amelia as she shuddered and shed a river of tears. "Amelia," he wrote. "What?" Amelia replied. "I'm sorry, alright? Please don't cry," Slendy wrote. Upon reading this, Amelia just felt like crying even more. "Why? Why does _everyone _think that I'm naïve? Everyone calls me that… my parents, my friends, complete strangers, Fumiko… and now you? Why…" Amelia said. Slendy wiped away Amelia's tears with his gloved hand, and slowly, hesitantly, pulled Amelia into a hug. Amelia sighed gratefully, taking in Slendy's tenderness and affection. "Can I carry you back to the tent? I doubt you have the strength to walk that kind of a distance right now," Slendy wrote. Amelia nodded thankfully and was simultaneously lifted into the Slenderman's arms. For a second time, she listened to Slendy's rhythmic heartbeat, and without further warning, she lost consciousness and fell into a much deserved sleep…

**CHAPTER 3 - END**


End file.
